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Fitting of … |
How to check it … |
Notes .. |
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Helmets |
Make sure you measure your head and get the appropriate
sized helmet, also that it has a CE
EN1078 or
SNELL B.95
kite mark. The helmet must be worn so that it is level on
the head, just above the eyebrows. When the straps are done
up it should fit snugly. The rear strap should meet the
front strap just under your ear near the hinge of your jaw.
All straps should be equally tight and free from slack. A
test for this is that you should only be able to get two
fingers between the straps and your chin. The helmet should
not restrict vision or hearing in any way as it may prevent
you from seeing or hearing approaching traffic or any
warning signals from other road users. |
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Which bike is right for you? |
ROAD RACING BIKES:
Designed for use on paved roads (opposed to track-racing
bikes designed for tracks), road racing bikes are designed
for speed. They have a lightweight frame made of aluminium
or carbon. Riders usually sit at an incline, crouched toward
the handlebars in a streamlined position. |
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OFF ROAD BIKES:
Mountain bikes have the
weight and tread you need to move around unpaved areas. They
can have tires more than 1.75 inches wide, up to 27 speeds,
toe clips to keep your feet on the pedals, and often come
with a dense foam seat/saddle that has some stitching to
keep you from slipping around while you ride. |
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HYBRID BIKES:
Hybrid bikes make great
all-purpose bicycles. Hybrids allow riders to sit in a more
comfortable upright position than mountain bikes,
lightweight frames make them perfect for use on pavement,
and they can handle light off-roading on dirt and gravel. |
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CITY/COMMUTING BIKES:
A relatively new development
although an old idea. The basic ingredients for this style
are; frame similar to a racing bike, plenty of gears but not
the ultra low gears found on Hybrids and mountain bikes,
straight bars like hybrids/MTBs to give the comfortable more
upright position, slim fast tarmac tyres. It is ideally
suited to commuting as long as you don't have masses of gear
to carry. And of course there are the folding bikes which
are ideal for taking on trains into town in the first
instance, one of the most popular being manufactured by
Brompton ~ check out all your options at
www.foldingbikes.co.uk
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COMFORT CRUISERS:
Comfort bikes have the same
sporty look as mountain bikes, but let riders sit more
upright for superior comfort. Although they will not go as
fast as a hybrid bike or deal with rough terrain as well as
a mountain bike, they work great for beginners, commuters,
or people who want to take a ride through the park. |
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BMX:
Older kids and teenagers love BMX bikes, which have the look
of a motocross dirt bike. They have higher handlebars than
road bikes and mountain bikes and the frames look small
compared to the rider. Be careful though, if they are too
small then they will, as per the advice given re the frame
size, put a lot of unnecessary pressure on their knees and
ankles giving them grief later. |
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CHILDREN'S BIKES:
Bikes geared toward younger
kids have a small frame and raised handlebars fit a child's
body. They also include a spoke guard and coaster brakes
that allow a child to stop when pedalling backwards. |
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More unusual choices! |
RECUMBENT BICYCLES:
Recumbent bikes allow riders to sit in a
chair-like seat lower to the ground than traditional
elevated seats. Although some people may be taken aback by
the unconventional look, recumbent bikes offer riders a
comfortable place to sit back and relax.
TANDEM BICYCLES:
Great for a day in the park,
tandem bikes have enough room for two or more people. Share
your pedal power!
SPECIAL NEEDS BICYCLES:
For FREE up-to-date advice
golooksee at
www.velovision.co.uk
After all, the benefits of cycling for the disabled
are just the same as for the able-bodied. |
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For cycling in those really hilly areas .. |
ELECTRIC ASSISTED BIKES:
There are various models around which
vary in price and capacity - amongst the names are PowaCycle,
Powabyke and Giant but beware- there is a legal aspect here
which is this, electric bikes are still bicycles, so have no
road tax, no insurance, no MOT, no license plates, etc. To
comply with this, they have to be limited to a maximum speed
under power of 15mph (although you can pedal faster than
this if you want, of course) and an average power of 200W
(250W for an electric tricycle). At present in the UK, both
E-bikes and Pedelecs are covered by this, although there are
moves to make E-bikes conform to the same regulations as
mopeds. If you are thinking of getting such a bike keep an
eye on
www.whycycle.co.uk
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Frame size |
Are you able to stand astride the bike just in front of the
saddle, with your feet flat on the ground and at least 3cm
clearance between the top tube and crotch? |
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Saddle height |
When sitting on the saddle with one foot on either pedal at
it's lowest point, your knee should only be slightly bent or
depending on the type of bike and the position of the pedals
as that can differ, perhaps with your leg straight … you
should be able to touch the ground though albeit on tip toe
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Tyres |
Are both tyres pumped up so you can barely squeeze the
sidewalls between your finger and thumb and do that have at
least 3mm of tread without being cracked or split? Finally
nothing should be rubbing against the tyre when the wheels
are turning |
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Wheels |
Quick releases must be firmly closed with the levers not
exposed and wheel nuts should be tight with the wheels
centralised in the fork and the frame. The rims should not
touch the brake blocks nor the tyre touch the frame. |
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Spokes |
Spokes should not be corroded or loose and if any are bent
or missing, they should be replaced immediately. |
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Handlebars |
The stem should not exceed the maximum extension height mark
(the mark should not be visible). Turn the bars gently side
to side, the stem must stay aligned with the front wheel
fork. |
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Saddle and seat post |
The saddle should not move either up or down or side to
side. It should however either be level or point slightly
downwards. Also check maximum height mark on the seat post
has not been exceeded at all - again it should not be
visible. |
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Frame |
Check the forks have no signs of accident damage such as
wrinkled paint near the top of the forks. The alignment of
the forks should follow the same line or appear to travel
forwards of the head tube. On folding bikes, ensure frame
clamps are firmly closed. |
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Pedals |
Check they are complete .. No missing rubbers, no excessive
wear and two orange reflectors. Ensure they are fastened
securely to the cranks. |
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Brakes |
When applying the brakes, pulling the levers back hard
making sure nothing 'gives'. Cables must not be frayed and
brakes must make contact with the rim before the lever is
pulled back more than one third of it's travel. Also can
you reach and apply both brakes comfortably? Excessive
effort should not be required and the position of the brake
levers reviewed subject to the type of handle bars in use.
Lastly check the brake blocks - they should wear evenly [if
they are not touching or travelling under the wheel rims]
but do need changing every so often to be effective after a
while. The metal shoe must NOT
touch the rim. |
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Chain |
The chain should be lightly lubricated with no evidence of
rust [making it prone to breaking] and should not come off
the front chain wheel[s] or come off and jam between the
smallest rear sprocket and the frame. The play in the chain
should not exceed 25mm at it's mid-point between front and
rear sprockets. |
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Gears |
Go through the gears to ensure the derailleur doesn't foul
the wheel and with hub gears, check they do not slip in
which case they may need to be adjusted by your local cycle
shop. |
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Lights (if fitted) |
Check that lights are firmly attached and cannot slide off
or fall off and swing into a wheel. Be especially careful
of lights attached to the front forks. Front lamps tend to
flatten their batteries slightly faster than rear lamps as
the bulb would generally be of a higher wattage. Some
headlamps (better quality ones generally) run at 6volts (4 x
AA cells), not 2.4volts (2 x C cells). These headlamps tend
to last longer on a set of batteries for an almost identical
cost per set of batteries. Whether LEDs make suitable front
lights is debateable. Unlike filament bulb lights, LEDs do
not throw a beam of light which would sufficiently light up
your path. LEDs are more about being seen that actually
seeing. UK Law changed in 2005 to permit the use of
"flashing" LED's but above all CHECK THOSE BATTERIES!! If
you have flat batteries you've got a problem especially if
you do a lot of cycling at dusk or in the dark winter
evenings! |
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Reflectors |
By law you MUST have a red rear reflector fitted … there
should be reflectors on each of the wheels and two orange
reflectors on both pedals plus a white reflector on the
front of the bike. |
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I HOPE THIS
HELPS A LITTLE !! However please be aware ~ Carrying out
these checks
does not
guarantee that a bike is safe, only |
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that it
is in an acceptable condition for a short ride .. We
recommend that you have your bicycle serviced and
maintained |
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by a properly qualified
professional.
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